Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The airbag sensor stop working. The airbag light stayed on whether someone was sitting in or not sitting in the passenger seat. The dealership stated there was an opening in the circuit and had to be re-builded. With the airbag not working this made the vehicle unsafe to drive and they could not tell me if the defect was with the driver side or passenger side airbag.
The airbag light has come on on the dash and does not go out. It doesn't matter if someone is in the seat with or without the seat belt. It stays on. Now I'm worried the airbag won't work in an accident or it might go off/explode at any time.
Tl contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy and the seat belt failed to lock and restrain the driver. A police report was filed and the contact sustained chest injuries . The vehicle was taken to the dealer where an inspection was done on the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,000. The VIN was unavailable.
My "vehicle was previously recalled to reprogram front passenger occupant classification system (ocs) electronic control unit (ECU). " I took my car in for the recall to have it taken care of, but now I'm still having issues with the ocs. Currently, the driver side airbag light is on, indicating that it is not functioning properly. In addition, while the car was in motion and I was sitting in the passenger seat, the passenger side airbag light was lit up. This indicated that the airbag was off, despite the fact that I was sitting in it. After taking the car into the dealership, I was informed that I needed a new ocs control unit as well as two ocs sensors. I informed them of the previous recall on the ocs; however, they said this was a separate issue, so I was going to have to pay around $700. …
2013 Nissan Altima s - safety system defect / malfunction problem:2 aspects (1)the ocs airbag and seatbelt system warning light "incorrectly indicates" a passenger is not in the seat when in fact the seat is occupied! This condition "turns off the air bag protection for an adult passenger!" (2)the seatbelt light 'incorrectly indicates' that a passenger is unbelted. Erroneous test results: Nissan 'tests' this safety system on equipment programmed by Nissan ' via a humanly devised algorithm. In other words, since the 'test equipment' is programmed incorrectly, the results will be wrong. Proof: Nissan has recalled to reprogram my vehicle 4 times (I think) ' a new 'test' algorithm. Additionally, Nissan refuses to acknowledge that there could be a faulty components of this safety system. If the 'test' fails to show a system fault. Nissan ignores the problem. …
My wife's vehicle was stopped on I-95 about a car length behind a minivan that had also stopped for debris in the road, a Toyota pickup truck hit the rear of her car at speeds in excess of 60mph pushing her car into the minivan in front of her at a speed of at least 30mph, the SRS airbag in her car failed to deploy and quite possibly the seatbelt as well. My wife struck her head on the vehicle's left side roof support beam and suffered a concussion, whiplash and other lesser degree injuries as a result. It is my understanding Nissan has had issues with SRS failures in 2013 altimas.
My car was a part of the Altima airbag recall in 2014. The action was taken by the dealer. The Altima has always had the issue of the passenger seat not registering it's occupant on an intermittent basis. The only way to have fixed this was to shut my car off and recalibrate the system. Today, nothing was in the passenger seat yet the airbag and seatbelt light were lit. This means that the Altima believed someone was in the passenger seat even though it was completely empty. I no longer feel safe for a passenger to sit in the Altima.
I have had the following issues with the Nissan Altima: air bag sensor issues sometimes sensor malfunctions (looked at 3 x, not fixed), rear view camera sometimes does not work (looked at 3 x, not fixed), transmission CVT issues sometimes jumps into gear (looked at 3 x, not fixed), seat belt sometimes locks up (looked at 1 x, not fixed). Issues happen while in motion or starting.
Gear shift is unable to move. It will not move when breaks are pressed. Also, engine dies when car is put in reverse or drive. The engine will also die while driving, and when I go to turn it back on, it only dies when I try to switch the gears.
2013 Altima passenger seat belt indicator lamp does not come on, or later turn off, when the car is already running / still running and passenger sits in front seat or exits the vehicle. After dealership had replaced the vehicle ods (under recall). I have had to either shut the vehicle off and restart it while the passenger is already seated, or wait several minutes while driving before the light would illuminate (while passenger seat belt was not engaged (worn). I have taken the vehicle to the dealership to have them and a field technician from Nissan (U.S.) look at the issue, they were able to re-create, as well as not get it to fail. Currently they are saying it is normal for the lamp to not come on or go off for up to 7 seconds (in user manual) when the car is running and passenger enters or exits the vehicle. …
Seat Belt complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat belt problems on the 2013 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the seat belts of the 2013 Nissan Altima, 1% of the model year's 2,313 complaints. The component named most often is front › warning light/devices (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Nissan Altima seat belt problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seat belts recall for the 2013 Nissan Altima, though it has 12 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2013 Nissan Altima seat belt problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 13,000 miles, and 59% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to seat belts problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.